BRADENTON, Fla. -- Twins fans will get their first chance to watch their new superstar shortstop in action on Sunday, when Carlos Correa will suit up for his first Grapefruit League action in a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium.
Correa has been doing drills and taking live at-bats on the back fields since his signing became official on Tuesday, and he was working quickly to catch up after not having hit off live pitching through the offseason in an effort to lower his injury risk during free agency.
"It’s more about him seeing the baseball, starting to kind of ramp his body into shape where he can go out there and do all the things he needs to do," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "The first few days, they’re all about just timing and starting to get that back. He’s doing very well."
The plan, Baldelli said, is for Correa to possibly do a light workout on Monday, when the Twins are off before likely playing again on Tuesday.
Miranda (jaw contusion) OK after being hit by throw
Infielder Jose Miranda exited during the sixth inning of the Twins' 2-1 loss to the Pirates on Friday at LECOM Park with a jaw contusion after taking an errant throw to the area, but there's no great concern about any lingering impact of the play for the Twins' No. 3 prospect.
"We just wanted to get him off the field as fast as we could," Baldelli said. "Get him inside to get looked at. I didn't even hear anything [from him]. And really, nothing that we heard was going to change anything. He was going to come out. Ultimately, luckily, seems fine."
Duran could be in conversation for Opening Day roster
This time of spring, many pitchers are still stretching out their arms and trying to get their velocity back into midseason form. Jhoan Duran, the Twins' No. 6 prospect, must have missed that memo -- just ask the radar gun.
Six pitches thrown by Twins pitchers this spring have been recorded at 100 mph or higher, and Duran is responsible for all six, including four such offerings -- topping out at 100.7 mph -- in Minnesota's game against Tampa Bay at Hammond Stadium on Thursday.
Duran hasn't been handled like a starter so far this spring, making it reasonable to wonder if the longtime Minor League starter is preparing for a bullpen role this season. The 24-year-old said before the game that he hadn't had any conversations about any such move but was ready for whatever the Twins needed. And when asked if Duran could be part of the Opening Day roster, his manager didn't rule out the possibility.
"I wouldn't close the conversation on him," Baldelli said. "I know he's missed some time with injuries, but he's got a ton of ability."
That would make particular sense considering Duran's pitch mix, which already features two strong offerings in his plus fastball and the unique "splinker" -- the splitter-sinker hybrid that draws big swing-and-miss numbers. It also syncs with the Twins' need in the bullpen and the workload limitations that will likely be in play for Duran after elbow issues held him to 16 innings last season for Triple-A St. Paul.
"I wouldn't put him in a box, saying he's going down soon and that's the end of it," Baldelli said. "We're going to keep letting him pitch and let him show us what he is right now. I think he's getting to that point in his career where he's right on the brink of helping a big league team win a lot of games. He's got a ton of ability and I think he's still growing. He's still figuring this thing out, but he's in a real good spot."